It’s summer in Alberta, and many of us are looking to go on road trips to other provinces or the United States. You’ve made your plans, packed your car, and are on your way, excited to finally get a change of scenery!
But what happens if you are not in Alberta anymore and get into a car accident? Which rules apply, and what do you need to know regarding insurance coverage or personal injury claims?
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Whose Rules Apply?
In most cases, the laws that apply to your car accident will be those of the province or state where the accident happened. So, if your accident is in Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan laws apply. If you are in Michigan, Michigan law applies. And so on.
Things can get interesting because not every province or state has the same “minimum insurance coverage” requirements. There are even a couple of states in the US that do not have any motor vehicle insurance requirements. This means that you could get into an accident with someone who does not have enough coverage to pay for the damages.
Other complications can arise if you are in a province with a no-fault system. No-fault means that you cannot sue the other driver. This can lead to frustrating and complicated scenarios, as a senior in BC, whose car was struck by a stolen vehicle, found out in 2022.
Living Benefits
One tip that I have for you as a personal injury lawyer is to look into life insurance with living benefits. This differs from life insurance without living benefits in that you can access some of your life insurance while you are still alive.
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Suppose you require long-term care after your accident or lose the ability to perform certain daily functions on your own. In that case, you might be eligible to access part of your life insurance if you have living benefits.
Talk to your insurance provider, and consider reviewing your life insurance policy with an insurance lawyer.
How to Prepare
If you know that you’ll be heading out of Alberta for a road trip, it is always smart to take that extra time and chat with your motor vehicle insurance provider. Be clear on what your policy does and doesn’t cover, and if you have any concerns, talk to a lawyer.
This may seem over-the-top as we so often hop in our cars and go on vacation without giving things a second thought. However, when something does happen, we are left unprepared and encounter unpleasant surprises.
Take the time to understand your policies and benefits. Hopefully, you’ll never need to use them, but it is always good to know what you are paying for and what kind of coverage you have.
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If you’ve been in a car accident outside of Alberta, the best thing you can do is to connect with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
At McGuiness Law, we can offer you a free, no-obligation consultation. This will allow us to review your case details with you and determine if you will be better off working (or not working) with us
We know the language insurance companies like to use, we understand time limitations and legal jargon, and we are determined to ensure you receive full compensation with no money left on the table.
Connect with us via our contact form, or call us (toll-free) at 1-833-585-4145.